50 Great Cookbooks at Thomas Ford – Week 35

The Bon Appetit Cookbook by Barbara Fairchild (641.5 Fai)

What kind of cookbook is The Bon Appetit Cookbook?
Ever go back through a stack of old magazines trying to find a recipe? As the editorial staff of Bon Appetit approached the magazine’s 50th anniversary, they decided that to help all of the devoted subscribers who called, wrote, or emailed requests for old recipes by republishing many in a best-of-the-best-and-most-quested cookbook. They narrowed the selection down to about 1,200 recipes that they retested, rewrote, and organized into The Bon Appetit Cookbook. The result is a massive general purpose cookbook for every day cooking and special occasions.

Is this cookbook easy to use?
Anyone who frequently cooks from books will find the arrangement familiar, as the chapters start with breakfast and appetizers and end with desserts and drinks. In the middle are the main courses, side dishes, and baked goods. The table of contents which lists every recipe may be used to browse, or the reader may consult the comprehensive index to search by dish name or ingredients. The recipes themselves are nicely laid out and easy to read.

Can you easily buy the ingredients for the recipes?
Living in a large metropolitan area, we can probably get everything to make these dishes – even the live lobsters.

What is special about this cookbook?Bon Appetit aims to teach, so the instructions are clear and precise. The introduction includes a great list of pots, pans, and other equipment that a home cook should have. A new homeowner could use this as a guide for setting up the kitchen. (I think I need to get some custard cups.) They also list ingredients that should always be in the pantry, refrigerator, or freezer.